BYU Professor David Thomson is working to understand a chemical pathway in human muscles that may explain the effects of exercise.
Thomson, a cell biology and physiology professor, began his muscle research after learning about adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase while studying at BYU. He decided to pursue an understanding of this pathway as a graduate student and conducted research at East Carolina University.
AMPK is a protein that activates when muscles consume energy. It helps the body adapt in beneficial ways, such as burning more fat and reducing inflammation.
AMPK also plays a role in helping cells absorb glucose, which can make it especially important for people with diabetes.
Thomson's father died from complications related to diabetes when Thomson was 12 years old, he said.
"The fact that (my dad) was not able to do a lot of the things that a dad would like to do with his son really kind of shaped me" he said.
Thomson believes that combining AMPK activation with new, popular diabetes medications could improve treatment results and reduce side effects. His goal is to develop a drug that can trigger this pathway without requiring exercise.
Another protein in the body that becomes highly active during exercise is NR4A. Benjamin Sung, Thomson's research assistant, is leading a project to figure out why this happens.
"We are still interested in trying to figure out what pathways it follows — what it does in exercise," Sung said. "There are other studies that talk a little bit about it, but not a lot of research is out there, so we're kind of the first people to mess around with it in muscle cells."
One of the next steps in Sung's research is to study mice that do not have NR4A to help him understand the protein's purpose.
Professor Thomson’s research also has implications in muscle wasting disease and aging. It could offer a way for individuals who struggle with exercise to still reap the benefits of the AMPK pathway.
Professor Thomson is currently collaborating with pharmaceutical companies as he advances his research.